Speakers Bureau

The Changing Landscape of American Religion

Program Description:

Speaker:

Michele Dillon

Michele Dillon is a professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire. Since receiving her Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1989, her research and writing has focused on religion and culture broadly defined to address several pressing questions about the place of religion in contemporary society: the moral politics surrounding abortion and gay rights; the coexistence of commitment and dissent among Catholics; the everyday habits and lifetime journeys of religious and spiritual Americans; and the links between religious/spiritual practices and well-being and altruism. In her writing and teaching, Dr. Dillon emphasizes a pluralistic approach; she uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods and engages with a wide array of classical and contemporary theorists. She is currently President-elect of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, and is past-Chair of the American Sociological Association religion section.